Cabinet framework and drawer support



Dec. 25, 1962 J. w. JACOBS ETAL 3,070,417

CABINET FRAMEWORK AND DRAWER SUPPORT Original Filed March 21, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 1 I lma O a ,iilllls @y 57 umu #2 l is w l@ j /5 ...mv n1-ml mw mu ,8 zz 5a i 54 e vi i a Z720 li I' n l Z2 2z o f /s 6 6 ze Z ifal 6 294 o 23 /2 if s lo :a /6 20 294 55 la :o y:z

244 s l d '"50 ZZ /i INVENTOR! /0 Jamas Zd. Jamba' 5 25 0 52 grana/s H.)Wfbrmd s jfmfymg i 20 THEIR Amann Dec- 25, 1962 J. w. JACOBS ETAL l3,070,417

CABINET FRAMEWORK AND DRAWER SUPPORT Original Filed March 2l, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIIII,

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n n n g f fflf Z JNVENTORS James L Jacob' @anc/'s' H. mf'brmc wm @fm THE l R ATTORNEY tats 3,7%,4l7 Patented Dec. 25, 19%2 3,079,417 CABINETFRAMEWRK AND DRAWER SUPPR'E .lames W. Jacobs and Francis H. McCormick,Bayton, hio, assignors to General Motors Sorporation, Detroit, Mich., acorporation of Delaware @riginal application Mar. 21, 1956, Ser. No.572,943, now Patent No. 2,965,428, dated Dec. 20, 1969. Divided and thisapplication May 31, 1966, Ser. No. 32,875

1 Claim. (Cl. S12-341) This is a division of our copending applicationSerial No. 572,943, led March 2l, 1956, now Patent No. 2,- 965,428.

This invention relates to a kitchen cabinet assembly and moreparticularly to an assembly in which the cabinets are supported by aframework that also supports one or more wall panels.

An object of the invention is to provide a portable metal framework thatis adapted to support one or more kitchen cabinets, the framework beingso constructed that wood furring strips may be readily attached thereto.

Another object is to provide fastening means for attaching a woodfurring strip to a metal strut.

Still another object is to provide a kitchen cabinet having a framefabricated of a plurality of interconnected channel irons.

A further object is to provide a frame and a cabinet support which areso constructed and arranged as to provide a space for the passage ofconduits and the like between the frame and the cabinet support.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein apreferred embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a kitchen cabinet assembly constructedin accordance with this invention;

FlGURE 2 is a sectional view of a vertical strut and wood furring stripjust prior to the attachment of the furring strip to the strut;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the strut and urring strip securedtogether; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of an eccentric drawer positioning rollerthat is adapted to vertically position the cabinet drawers of thisinvention.

A preferred embodiment of a kitchen cabinet assembly constructed inaccordance with this invention is shown in FIG. l. The assemblycomprises a kitchen cabinet denoted generally by reference numeral 2,and a frame for an identical kitchen cabinet generally denoted byreference numeral 4. The kitchen cabinet frame structure includes aplurality of vertically disposed channels 6 and horizontally disposedchannels 8. A single channel may be bent to shape to form channels tiand 8, or a plurality of channels may be used that are secured togetherby welding or any other suitable means. The lower portions of channelsare bent to form the offset channel members 1d and 12. Member 12 extendsinwardly toward the center of the cabinet and merges into a verticalextension 14 that has its opposite end connected to horizontal channel5. t will be apparent that the inwardly bent portion 12 provides a space16 for the passage of water pipes and the like, as shown in the drawing.The vertical channels t3 are interconnected by horizontally extendingchannels 3 that are welded or otherwise connected to channels 6, the topchannels forming a top frame for the cabinet. Similar lower channels 1Sconnect channel members 14. A plurality of gusset plates Ztl are weldedto the channels in order to provide a rigid frame structure. Thevertical channels are also connected by drawer support members 22 and 24that are welded or otherwise secured to the vertical irons.

Each drawer support 24 may include an extension 26 that carries aplurality of drawer rollers, as shown. Drawer support plate 24 isslotted, as shown, and coacts with conventional guide means 24a securedto extensions 26 so as to guide the extension 26 and the drawersupported thereby during its sliding movement.

A pair of angle irons 3d are welded to channel irons 8 and 13 at thelower part or" the frame structure. Each angle iron has a V-shaped slot36a that is adapted to coact with one of the vertically disposed flangeson the horizontal structural member 23, as shown, to preclude movementof the cabinet away from the member 23. The lower front frame structureis provided with gusset plates 32 welded to the channel irons. Each ofthese gusset plates carries a bolt or adjustable foot assembly, denotedby reference numeral 33, that may be extended to engage the kitchenfloor after the cabinet frame is secured to the vertical support 21.

In order to construct a finished cabinet, it is only necessary to securepanels to the channel iron frame and to provide the front opening of theframe with drawers. lf one or more cabinets are to be used in side byside abutting relationship, it may not be desirable to provide theabutting sides of the frames with panels. The panels may be secured tothe channel irons by machine screws or other suitable means and the topof the frame may carry a work table 3 suitably secured to the topchannel irons.

rthe complete cabinet is denoted by reference numeral 2 and as shown,has a plurality of drawers slidably disposed in frame 4. Drawers 13 areprovided with a longitudinally extending iiange 15, as shown in FIG. 4,that rides on top of a roller 5. The rear portions of these drawers maybe supported and guided by any conventional means in accordance withconventional practice and may, for example, carry rollers 13a or othersuitable means adapted to engage the drawer supports 22. The drawer 29may also be provided lwith a longitudinally extending flange (not shown)similar to the ilange 1S, adapted to slidingly engage the rollers 29asecured to extension 26. lf such a flanged arrangement is used, theextension 26 may be formed with a groove 28 that slidably guides theflange. Drawer 35 may carry means (not shown), adapted to engage lowerdrawer supports 22 for supporting the drawer in its sliding movement. Awork table 3 is secured to the top channel irons of the frame and ispreferably made of a layer of moisture-and-heat resistant material 3abonded to an inner relatively rigid member 3b. It should be noted thatthe outer faces of the drawer structure completely enclose the frontarea of the cabinet frame. lt will thus be apparent that no panelmembers are needed to cover the front faces of channel irons 6 and 10 asthese will be covered by the front faces of the drawers. Rollers 5 arerotatably secured at the inner face of channel irons 6 and engage theoutwardly extending ilange 15 of the drawers, as shown in FIG. 4. Theserollers are eccentrically mounted, as will more clearly hereinafterappear, in order that the drawers may be vertically displaced toaccurately space them in vertical relation.

The kitchen cabinets hereinbefore described are adapted to be secured toa framework that includes vertically disposed struts 21. A horizontalstructural base member 23 is secured to the lower ends of the verticalstruts 21 by an angle iron 25 or other suitable means. Structural member23 is U-shaped and is adapted to be secured to the floor of an enclosureor to any other suitable horizontally disposed support. One leg of theU-shaped member 23 forms a vertically extending abutment that engagesthe Vshaped slots 3dr: in the angle irons Sil for holding the frame ofthe cabinet from movement away from the struts 21. Struts 21 are hollowand are slotted at 34 as shown in FIG. l. These slots slidably guidebolts that threadingly engage extension bars'36. With this constructionit is possible to provide a vertical strut that may be adjusted so as tocompensate for differences in ceiling heights. The lower ends of thebars 36 slide along the interior walls of strut 21 and'may be held frommovement with respect to the struts by the fastening bolts 37 that areslidingly guided by slot 34. The bars 36 may be welded to hollowextension struts 3S, as shown in the drawings. Struts 3S are arrangedwith fastening means that extend through slots 43a formed in ahorizontal har 49. This horizontal bar may engage the ceiling of a roomand by the just-described construction, is extensible to a certaindegree with respect to struts 38. It will thus be apparent that thevertical struts are provided with extensible means adapted to be usedwith rooms having ceilings of varying vertical heights.

The vertical struts 2 are designed to carry a wood furring strip 42. Thewood furring strip provides means adapted to carry wall panel materialdenoted by reference numeral The wall panel may he nailed to the woodfurring or secured thereto by any other suitable means. The securing ofthe wood furring to the strut is an irnportant feature of the inventionas it provides a surface that is readily adapted to receive nails orother types of wall securing means.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a preferred method of securing a wood fur-ring stripto a metal strut. The metal strut 21 has an elongated slot 46 at itsrear that extends the entire length thereof. The slot may be formed bybending the walls of the strut inwardly to form inturned flanged members48. In this embodiment the strut is hollow and is formed by a pluralityof walls that define a rectangle. It will be apparent to those skilledin the art that the strut may be of any cross-sectional configurationand that the slot may be of any desired length. The wood furring strip42 is provided with one or more bolt receiving apertures that areadapted to receive one or more bolts E0. The bolt receiving aperturesmay have countersunk portions adapted to conceal the head end of thebolt. The bolt is suitably threaded and these threads engage theinternal threads of an elongated nut denoted by reference numeral 52.This nut is longer than the distance between the inner' walls 54- and 56of the strut but the width of the nut as shown in FIG. 2 is somewhatless than the width of slot 46. The nut is not as wide as the slot inorder that the bolt and nut may be inserted through the slot into theinterior of the strut when the slot and bolt are longitudinally aligned.it will thus be apparent that all that is needed for assembling thefurring strip 42 to the strut 2l is the insertion of the nut and theprojecting end of the bolt through the slot 46 into the interior of thestrut. The bolt may then be tightened by a rotation thereof with asuitable tool adapted to coact with the head end of the bolt. The nut 52will rotate inside of the strut until the ends of the nut engage innerwalls 54 and S5 of the strut whereupon rotation of the nut is precluded.With rotation of the nut positively precluded, the strut and furring maybe tightly drawn together by rotation of bolt 50. The strut and woodfurring strip are shown in assembled position in FlG. 3 with the nutengaging flanged portions 48 of the strut.

The eccentric positioning structure for the rollers 5 is shown in detailin the sectional view of FlG. 4. As shown in this figure, the roller 5is journalled on a bearing memer 7 eccentrically disposed with respectto a threaded bolt or attachment portion 9 that is connected to member7. The head portion 11 of member 7 is slotted to provide for meansadapted to receive a screwdriver or the like that may be used torotatably adjust eccentric 7. Rotation of the one-piece or unitarymember 7 will, of course, vertically position the roller 5 which in turnpositions the drawer 13 which has a flange 15 resting on the roller 5.The eccentric roller assembly may be secured to channel iron 6 by meansof a nut threaded on bolt 9 s or by other manner adapted to secure theeccentric drawer positioning means.

The method of setting up the kitchen cabinet assembly will now bedescribed. The horizontal structural member 23 is first secured to afloor or other horizontally disposed member. The structural member 23 issecured in a true horizontal position and shims may be used hetween themember and floor to compensate for irregular iioor surfaces. Thestructural member need not necessarily be secured against the wall of aroom but may be disposed in any position that will enhance thearchitectural setting of the room. When the horizontal structurallmember is secured in place, the vertical struts 21 are affixed theretoin a true vertical position and the kitchen cabinet frames may then besecured by machine screws 27 or other suitable means to one face of thevertical struts, as shown in FIG. l. It will be apparent that if thestruts are in a true vertical position, the same will be true of thecabinet frames, and, furthermore, that a horizontal axis of the framewill be normal to a plane including the vertical struts. The cabinetsare thus positioned by using the vertical struts as a reference planeand do not depend on cabinet mounted levelling devices for thisfunction. If more than one cabinet is used, the cabinet frames may besecured together to strengthen the kitchen assembly. When the cabinetframes are securely fastened to the struts, the adjustable feet or bolts33 may be extended to engage the floor to provide additional cabinetsupport. These bolts will take up any irregularities in the oorstructure. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the cabinetframes and cabinets are thus spaced from the floor of the enclosureduring the positioning procedure. As noted hereinbefore, the upper endsof the struts are held in alignment and are connected by a horizontallydisposed plate ttl that may be secured to the ceiling of a roorn toprovide for better support of the struts 21. It will also be apparentthat the struts 21 together with the horizontally disposed members 23and 4t] comprise what may be termed a structural framework.

lt should be pointed out that the securing together of the verticalstruts, horizontal structural member and cabinet fra es provides aself-sustaining portable cabinet assembly. The cabinet frame beingfabricated of channel irons reinforces the framework including thevertical struts. Since the assembly is self-sustaining, the horizontalbar 40 need not in all instances be attached to the ceiling.Furthermore, it is apparent that the vertical struts, horizontalstructural member and cabinet frames might be pre-assembled as aself-sustaining portable unit.

The struts 21 may carry a light fixture denoted by ref erence numeral5S, and a two-part wiring raceway 6d. The two parts of the raceway arearranged to be snapped together, the back part being secured to thevertical struts by machine screws, as shown. The wiring raceway may havea switch and spaced outlets formed therein, as shown. A panel 62 isadapted to cover the wiring race- Way and is provided with a lower edgeportion that engages the Work table 3. The switches and outlets onraceway 66 protrude through the panel 62 in order that they will beaccessible to the user. The upper portions of the struts may carry anupper cabinet 64. There may be one or more of these cabinets secured tothe struts, as desired. A light dispersing panel 63 is interposedbetween upper cabinet 64 and panel 62 and acts to disperse lightdownwardly toward the work table. The lights mounted on light fixture 5Smay be used to light the interior of cabinets 64 by providing suitablelight passing apertures in the lower shelf of cabinet 64.

From the foregoing it is seen that a kitchen cabinet assembly has beenprovided that may be assembled in any desired position in a room. Theframe structure for the cabinets is portable and is easily assembled.Furthermore, the frame structure is adapted to support a plurality ofkitchen cabinets and also to support a wood furring strip that providesfor easy attachability of wall panel material.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claim whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

yIn combination, a cabinet support comprising a vertically disposedframework, said framework `being formed of a plurality of interconnectedvertically and horizontally extending coplanar metal struts, one of saidstruts having an upstanding portion, an adjustable kitchen cabinethaving a rigid frame structure7 said frame structure having a pluralityof vertically disposed channel iron corner posts, a plurality ofhorizontally disposed channel irons rigidly connected to some of saidvertically disposed channel iron corner posts and forming a frontopening, one of said corner posts having an offset portion extendinginwardly toward the front of said cabinet to provide a clearance spaceat the rear of said cabinet for utility conduits and including means fortransversely slidably supporting said cabinet structure on saidupstanding portion and means for positively securing said cabinet to oneside of said framework whereby said cabinet projects in cantileverfashion from said framework, a pair of drawer guides on another of saidcorner posts in said front opening, a pair of drawer means slidablysupported by said drawer guides in stacked relationship in said frontopening, said drawer guides comprising a roller, a

one-piece, unitary bearing and drawer adjustment member for rotatablysupporting said roller and having integrally as a part thereof a headportion, a threaded bolt portion and a bearing portion coaxiallydisposed with respect to said head portion and eccentrically disposedwith respect to said bolt portion, means for spacing said roller fromsaid another of said corner posts, said another of said corner postshaving port means for receiving said bolt portion, means including saidbolt portion for fastening said bearing and drawer adjustment member tosaid another of said corner posts, and singular means including a sloton said head portion to receive a screwdriver or the like for rotatingsaid bearing portion and said bolt portion to raise and lower saiddrawer means and to cause said fastening means to secure said bearingand drawer adjustment member to said another of said corner posts aftersaid cabinet structure is supported on said framework and said drawermeans are removed.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,171,347 Morse Feb. 8, 19'16 2,551,843 Knuth May 8, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS 198,170 Great Britain May 31, 1923 125,678 Switzerland May l,1928 583,942 Germany Sept. 12, 1933

